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Shelly's Sandbox Jump

Compound Words 2nd Phase 5
Shelly's Sandbox Jump
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 1
1The sun was bright, and Shelly wanted to play a game outside. She dropped her backpack by the mailbox and ran inside. Her pals Dan and Pam had come over to her house. Dan sat on the couch with his laptop on his lap and his headphones on. "Come out and play!" said Shelly.
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 2
2Dan did not look up. "After this show," he said, and he ate a bit more popcorn. Pam was at the kitchen table doing her homework. "I cannot come out yet," said Pam. "I still have a whole page of math left." Shelly sighed. Nobody wanted to come outside.
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 3
3Shelly went back out by herself. She kicked a ball uphill, but it just rolled back down to her. A game for one was not much fun. Then she saw the old sandbox by the shed. A cobweb lay across one corner, and the sand was full of lumps.
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 4
4"I can fix that," she said. The shed had a padlock on it, but Dad had left it open. Shelly got the rake and a dustpan. She picked up some old leaves with the dustpan and raked the sand until it was flat and smooth.
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 5
5Then she laid a rope on the grass to make a line. Shelly ran fast, jumped from the rope, and landed in the sand. Wham! "Six feet!" she yelled. "My best yet!" She jumped again and again.
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 6
6Each time she landed with a wham and cheered as loud as she could. Inside, Dan took off his headphones. "What is that sound?" he asked. Pam peeked out the kitchen window. They saw Shelly fly across the sandbox. "I bet I can beat that," said Dan.
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 7
7Pam finished her last sum and shut her math book. "Wait for me!" she said. The three of them took turns running and jumping. Dan fell flat like a pancake and laughed. Pam had the longest jump of all, and Shelly drew a line in the sand for each jump.
Shelly's Sandbox Jump, page 8
8They played until sunset turned the sky pink and orange. Then Mom called from the door, "Who wants a hotdog and a cupcake?" Shelly grinned. She had her game, and she did not have to play it by herself.
Circle or highlight all the compound words in the story above. How many did you find?

Comprehension Questions

After reading, ask these questions to check understanding:

  1. Where did Shelly drop her backpack?
  2. Why couldn’t Pam come out to play?
  3. Who had the longest jump of all?
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Word work sheets for this skill to build, split, sort and write, plus this story's word sort, phrasing cards and word search.

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Shelly's Sandbox Jump printed mini-book cover Download Mini-Book
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Reader Details

Phonics Skill Compound Words
Grade Level 2nd
Phase Phase 5
Worksheets Compound Words Worksheets

Target Words

sunset backpack cupcake bathtub cobweb sandbox hilltop laptop hotdog pigpen sunfish catfish

Sight Words

the a and to was is it she he they said have with you are of for her there one

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About This Decodable Reader

“Shelly's Sandbox Jump” is a free printable decodable reader designed for 2nd students practicing compound words phonics patterns. This mini-book uses phonetically controlled vocabulary so beginning readers can successfully sound out nearly every word in the story, building confidence and reinforcing the specific phonics skills they're learning.

The free PDF is a full-color illustrated mini-book: a cover, eight picture pages with one or two lines of story text each, and a back page listing the compound words words, high-frequency words, and discussion questions. Print the five sheets, cut each one in half along the dashed line, and staple — your child has a real little book to hold. A read-aloud version with one large page per sheet is also included for projecting to the whole class.

This reader is part of our collection of free decodable readers organized by phonics skill and aligned with the Science of Reading. For additional practice with compound words patterns, try our compound words phonics worksheets which include word sorts, phrasing practice cards, and rapid naming charts.